SKINCARE SOLUTIONS

It’s no news to anyone that at the moment, things are a little odd.With most of us spending more time at home and inside, almost every aspect of our routine has changed.I don’t know about you but I was planning on using this ‘downtime’ to make sure I leave this lockdown period looking refreshed with glowing skin and ready to get back to normality. Apparently my skin had other ideas.

Over the last week or so, I’ve noticed a dramatic change in the texture, condition and overall look of my skin. And not in the way I would’ve welcomed. I recently asked on Instagram whether you guys had been having similar issues or even had any recommendations for things I could try and the responses were overwhelming.So much so that I’m writing this post that I hope will help you or give you the advice you’re after if you’re suffering like me.

Baring in mind that everyones skin is different, below I have listed some general tips I received and how to best look after your skin and also things to avoid which might be causing problems.

Let’s get the DON’T’s out the way first.

DON’T TOUCH

One common message that I received was ‘don’t touch your face’.Whilst you would assume that wearing less makeup would help our skin, it would appear that some of us are touching our clean skin more than we normally would during the day.With each touch, we are transferring dirt and bacteria from our hands onto our face.So if it helps to pretend you’ve got a full face of makeup on, that should help you avoid touching your face.

DONT OVER EXFOLIATE

With this extra time, we might be trying to dedicate too much time into our skincare therefore actually over exfoliating just ‘because we can.Skincare guru and youtuber Nayanka Roberts Smith has great tips on how long you should clean your face for (her 60 second rule will blow your mind). Watch it here.

Whilst Youtuber Hyram posts helpful videos including how to discover what skin type you have which you can watch here.

VITAMINS

Our skin always needs its daily dose of vitamins and now is no different. With vitamin C and D perhaps being the most vital for glowing radiant skin.We usually get our Vitamin D from the sun when we’re out and about a lot more however, there are other ways to naturally get it into your system to help care for your skin.Try the following:

Salmon

Herring and sardines.

Cod liver oil.

Canned tuna.

Egg yolks.

Mushrooms.

Vitamin C can also come from a few different sources however I’ve found using the Clinique Fresh Pressed Vitamin C Daily Booster made the most noticeable difference.It’s really important to only use the recommended daily amount as to not upset the balance of your skin and making it worse. You can find the one I love here.

GUA SHA – This tool is a natural therapy that involves manipulating your face in a way that will improve circulation and help with drainage.It’s an ancient Chinese healing technique that has become increasingly popular due to the demand for natural beauty solutions. You can buy one from here.

JADE ROLLER – This is a personal favourite of mine.I store my jade roller in the fridge and although I don’t use it as often as I should (it’s recommended use is 3-4 times per week) it feels great and I definitely notice a difference in the puffiness of my face when I use it for around 15 minutes whilst watching TV.I tend to wear a sheet mask first and then once I’ve removed it I will roll the excess product over my skin using my jade roller.Just make sure you clean your tools thoroughly after each use to avoid dirt and bacteria building up. You can get a Jade Roller here.

Mix 1 tablespoon gram (chickea) flour, pinch of turmeric, lemon (if you suffer from oily skin), or curd (if you suffer from dry skin). Apply all over your face and leave to dry completely. Rinse off and pat dry.

Wrap ice cubes in a clean cloth and press against your skin, this will help de puff skin and reduce inflammation without using any chemical products.

TIPS TO FOLLOW

WEAR SPF: We might be spending less time outdoors but it’s still so important to apply SPF daily to protect your skin and give it a protection barrier. My favourite can be found here.

STAY HYDRATED: We all know we should drink more water but now is the time when it’s especially as important. I seem to drink the least amount of water when I’’m at home so I’ve started walking around with my reusable bottle to remind me to drink regularly and also means I don’t have to keep returning to the kitchen if I’m in another room.

GO PERFUME FREE: Now is an ideal time to go fragrance free.We’re not meeting up with anyone so save your favourite fragrance and give your skin a break from spritzing on your neck.

I’m going to take some of those on board and hopefully notice an improvement in my skin, please let me know via DM on Instagram if you have anymore tips and hopefully these will help whilst we’re staying at home with some extra time.